Page 82 (1/1)

Louise's cheeks reddened slightly, as she replied with affected carelessness: "If he doesn't care to write, I shall trouble no longer"

"He's still abroad, is he not? The last I heard of hiirl"

Mention of Dorise Ranscoirl's cheeks to colour more deeply

"Yes," she said, "I heard that also"

"You don't seem to care very much, Louise," re fellow"

"You've said that dozens of times before," was Louise's abrupt reply

"And I mean it You could do a lot worse than to h he is a bit hard-up nowadays But things with hiest that?" asked the girl resentfully

"Well--because, hed "Now, you can't deny it--can you?"

The girl, who had travelled so widely ever since she had left school, drew a deep breath and, turning her head, gazed blankly out of theagain

What Mrs Bond had said was her secret She was very fond of Hugh They had not met very often, but he had attracted her--a fact of which both Benton and his fehed the wo everywhere; "but your face betrays the truth, my dear Don't worry," she added in a tone of syland Personally, I don't believe he really cares a rap for the Ranscoirl It's only a matter of money--and Dorise has plenty"

"I don't wish to hear anything about Mr Henfrey's love affairs!" cried the girl petulantly "I tell you that they do not interest me"

"Because you are piqued that he does not write, child Ah, dear, I know!" she laughed, as the girl left the room

A quarter of an hour later Louise was seated in the car, while Mead drove her along the broad highway over the Hog's Back into Guildford The reen, and all along in the fields, as they went over the high ridge, the larks were singing gaily the , and the view spread wide on either side

Life in Surrey was, she found, much preferable to that on the Continent True, in the Rue Racine they had entertained a great deal, and she had, during the war, lish and American officers; but the sudden journey to Switzerland, then on into Italy, and across to New York, had been a whirl of exciteed her name several times, because she said that she did not want her divorced husband, a ne'er-do-well, to know of her whereabouts He was for everher, she had told Louise, and for that reason she had passed in different names